Fao to Launch $6.9 Million Rice Project in Sindh, Pakistan
Published on: February 19, 2024.
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The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has secured funding of $6.9 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to implement the Sustainable and Regenerative Management of Rice Production project in Pakistan. This project aims to enhance sustainable rice production landscapes in Sindh, a major rice-producing province in Pakistan. The project will restore 15,000 hectares of land and improve farming practices on 50,000 hectares, including protected areas. It is expected to reduce approximately 460,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and benefit nearly 75,000 individuals, with almost 50% being women.
The project, which is part of the Food Systems Integrated Programme (FSIP), will bring about transformative change through four key interventions. These interventions include strengthening the policy and governance framework, increasing financing and private sector engagement, providing innovation and technical support for landscape-level interventions, and promoting knowledge sharing.
The Sustainable and Regenerative Management of Rice Production project aligns with the National Food Security Policy (NFSP) of Pakistan, aiming to achieve national food security and nutrition goals through sustainable development of the agriculture sector. Furthermore, it supports Pakistan’s environmental commitments under international conventions such as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD).
At the provincial level, the project supports the Agricultural Policy of the Government of Sindh, which focuses on reducing rural poverty and malnutrition, enhancing climate resilience, and making efficient use of natural resources. It also complements existing investments by the Green Climate Fund and the World Bank to strengthen the resilience of agricultural value chains in Sindh and aid in post-flood recovery.
The Food Systems Integrated Programme (FSIP), co-led by FAO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will provide substantial financing to 32 countries, including Pakistan. The program aims to transform global agri-food systems to be sustainable, nature-positive, resilient, inclusive, and pollution-free. It will contribute to biodiversity conservation, address land degradation and climate change, improve food security, nutrition, incomes, livelihood sustainability, and resilience.
Overall, the Sustainable and Regenerative Management of Rice Production project in Pakistan will have significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. It will contribute to the achievement of national and international goals related to food security, climate change, and biodiversity conservation.
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